Improvement in bed-bottoms



T. J. PETTIT.

Bed-Bottom.

No.198,676. Patented Dec. 25, 1877.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. PETTIT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BED-BOiTTOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 198,676, dated December 25, 1877; application filed August 31, 1877. e

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. PETTIT, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring Bed-Bottoms, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a bed-bottom, showing the arrangement of the slats; Fig. 2,

V a detail view of the slats, showing the man ner of combining them together in pairs Fig. 3, an enlarged view of one of the metal plates used to join the slats together and form a connection for the stirrup-springs; and Fig. 4 is an .end view of the plate shown in Fig. 3.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple mode of constructing strong springslat bed-bottoms, whereby the slats are not weakened and made liable to be broken at the points where the springs are connected, and where the principal strain is thrown, and whereby a broken slat can be easily removed and replaced by a new one at small expense.

To this end I construct and provide a metal plate, of cast metal on account of cheapness of manufacture, with hooks or lugs thereon in proper position to receive and hold the end of the stirrup-spring, and with suitable dovetails for securing the slats to it, one plate affording a bearing and connection for two slats at one end, and the slats being set and arranged in pairs, for the purpose of allowing a lighter and more elastic slat to be used in the construction of the bed, as will be fully set forth hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings show, in Fig. 1, the manner of arranging the slats A A in pairs upon the frame, and in Fig. 2 the position of the slats and springs.

The slats A A are secured by means of the dovetails a a, cast or otherwise formed upon the plate B, the edges of each slat beingsuitably beveled to fit between them, and the ends of the slats beyond the .plate are made narrower, to allow them to pass by springs without striking when the bed is depressed.

The stirrup-springs O O are held by the lugs or hooks b b, cast or otherwise formed upon and projecting fi-om the end of the plate B, and the lower ends of the springs are secured to the cross-bars of the frame D.

The plate B may be cast or made with panels in it, to give a lighter plate, and the height of the dovetails a ais made about equal to the thickness of the slat, so that the top of the' end of the plate B, to prevent them from slipping or being drawn out of position in the plate by reason of the Weight thrown upon the center of the slat.

This construction gives a better and stronger fastening and connection for the stirrup-spring than in beds heretofore manufactured, and the natural strength of the slat at this point is not reduced by the insertion of screws or hails to hold the plate and slats together, and a much lighter and more elastic slat can be used.

The combination of the slats in pairs instead of a single slat or a wide one divided in the center for some distance by a slot, as in some kinds of beds now in use, gives a lighter and better bed-bottom than those heretofore made, for the slats are not placed wide enough apart in my construction to receive separate and independent pressure from the weight placed upon them; yet they are disconnected sufliciently to give the desired elastic or sprin ging quality, and they thus strengthen each other by distributing the weight between 1 them, and allow a lighter slat to be used.

Any desired number of these slats so arranged in pairs with their springs can be employed to form a spring bed-bottom of the required size.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination, with the slats A, of the holding-plates B, to which the slats are secured, and the lugs I), cast upon the said plates, and adapted to receive stirrup-springs,

substantially as described and shown.

2. In combination with the slats A A, arranged together in pairs, as described, the metal plates B B, with their hooks or lugs b b, and dovetails a a, constructed and applied together substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of August, 1877.

THOMAS J. PETTIT.

Witnesses:

EDWARD E. OSBORNE, W. M. SMITH. 

